A method and apparatus are known from EP 0 519 570, in which document a leg skin stripping device is provided below the path of a conveyor. This known device includes two parallel helical rollers, which mesh and can rotate in opposite directions with respect to each other and in such a way that the skin of a leg dragging over the rollers is pulled into the nip of the rollers and is thereby stripped off the leg. If desired the device can be disposed slanted relative to the conveyor. The known device is particularly arranged for processing drumsticks, for which purpose the known device also comprises cutting means to cut into the skin of the poultry leg in the vicinity of the knee joint.
Apparently EP 0 519 570 does not operate satisfactorily because the applicant of EP 0 519 570 developed another system for skin removal from defeathered whole legs or drum-sticks as set forth in WO2015/072851. In WO2015/072851, the system of EP 0 519 570 is discussed and it is admitted that the prior art system of EP 0 519 570 is not satisfactory in view of the skin removal results. In particular skin may become torn and is only fractionally removed requiring undue manual trimming of the poultry product later on. Also occasionally damaged meat of the drumstick or thigh is observed.
WO2015/072851 proposes to overcome the problems of EP 0 519 570 by applying a carousel machine and multiple skin removal assemblies journaled to revolve about a vertical main axis, wherein the skin removal assemblies are synchronized with the passage of poultry product carriers along a circular track portion around the carousel machine. This would allegedly result in significant improvements in the skin removal process because of a longer duration of engagement between the skin removal assemblies and the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg being processed. It is admitted, however, by WO2015/072851 that these benefits are achieved due to a relatively slower and more gentle removal of the skin due to a reduced speed of rotation of the skinning rollers, resulting in less undue tearing of skin and less potential for damage to the meat.
The admitted lower processing speed of WO2015/072851 is a big disadvantage in current high-speed processing lines, not to mention the big disadvantage of having to apply multiple skin removal assemblies to cooperate with the carousel machine. Apparently the applicant of WO2015/072851 has resorted to the commonly known carousel machine in the expectation that applying this carousel machine, which has been a welcome solution with many advantages in very different poultry processing applications since the 70s of the previous century, would also result into a successful application when applied to the deskinning operation on poultry legs and parts of poultry legs.
WO2008/078982 applies top rollers above bottom rollers in an apparatus for removal of the back skin of a poultry carcass. This apparatus is however not equipped nor suited to remove the skin from a poultry leg or part of a poultry leg. Accordingly the skilled person would not turn to this document when resolving a problem of an apparatus aimed at removing the skin from a poultry leg or part of a poultry leg.
Embodiments of the instant invention follow, however, an entirely different route in overcoming the problems of EP 0 519 570, wherein high-speed processing remains available and wherein the huge costs of WO2015/072851 can be avoided.